Distance Floor to Ceiling Question

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charlessenf

(;harles
Senior User
OK, in a basement with a poured concrete slab floor and 2 x 10 floor joists above.

I hung a laser level about 5 feet above the slab and set a story stick flush on the floor below each joist and marked the distance for each of the six joists I am going to build under. Then measured each mark to determine the following distances from the floor: 65.31" 65.50" 65.56" 66.00" 65.88" 66.25"

I am going to build a wall section out of 2 by 4's and I want the top plate to be level (as I can get it) and support the six joists, above. I will have a bottom plate of treated 2 x 4 and a top plate of the same material. I will nail my studs in place so that, when this short wall section is in place, each stud will line up with the respective joist above.

I determined that I wanted a height of 84 5/8ths inches for the wall section from bottom of bottom plate to top of top plate and now need to adjust the lengths of the studs to attempt to compensate for the uneven concrete floor.

I determined the difference for each stud and calculated the average distance, then subtracted the average distance from each measurement, above, and came up with -0.44" -0.25" -0.19" 0.25" 0.13" and 0.5" respectively.

Now, do I subtract the results from or add them to a length to achieve my objective?

(;harles
 

Skymaster

New User
Jack
Charles: dont bother to go crazy :} pick a point out from each corner 4", snap a line, this represents the OUTSIDE of your plate, take a 2x long enuf to go from floor up onto the joist, hold the 2x on line plumb up mark the 2 joists at each end of the run, 1 at each end, snap a line on the bottom of joists. now build your wall to the dimension u want laying on floor, lay some sill seal on floor, stand wall up in place, SHIM b,tween top plate and joists, screw it home, wallah u done :gar-Bi on floor u can drill and tapcon to concrete or use redheads :gar-Bi:gar-Bi
 

Bigdog72

New User
Geoff
If you build the wall on the floor and attempt to stand it up, you will find that the wall has "grown". Better to fasten bottom plate to floor, top plate to joists and cut your studs to fit.
 

Skymaster

New User
Jack
There is a special tool just for standing that wall upright. BFH and a block of wood :rotflm::rotflm::rotflm:
 

charlessenf

(;harles
Senior User
There is a special tool just for standing that wall upright. BFH and a block of wood :rotflm::rotflm::rotflm:

I did one to the right of this one a few months ago. At that time, I simply took a measurement or two and cut all the studs to the same length. Fastened them all to the plates (top and bottom) so they would line up under the joists when the wall was "up."

Then, I canted the thing (tilted it) so I could slide the top plate in place and tack it to one of the joists while (using a 3' 4x6 and a ten-pound sledge) drove the bottom plate into place. I realize that, at one point, I may have lifted the floor above a bit, but it worked and it added support and took a "sag" or "dip" out of the floor, above.

My intention is to do the same thing with this segment.

The way this home was built there is a center beam (3 2x10's sandwiched together) running the length of the house, The joists I referenced are attached to this beam and rest (at the other end) upon the Concrete block foundation. There are four steel support poles along this beam supporting the center of the home.

But at the one end of the basement, there has been some sagging and the beam was damaged by termites or similar. So, I put up these bearing wall segments* offset a foot or so East and West of the beam (forming a cellar closet!) to correct the problem.

Since writing my original post, I took a straight edge and level to the floor and determined that it is not as irregular as my story-stick and laser level approach first indicated. So, I am going to measure the distance at the closest steel support - between floor and beam and use that and the indications from my six-foot level to cut the studs to length and jam the resulting wall segment into place.

The story stick and laser measurements do not agree with the indications from the straight-edge and level so I'm going to repeat the laser measure but rely upon the old method where they do not agree (if that is the case again).

Thanks for the help. Ill get back to you all when I've got it up and report! ;)

(;harles


* Well, one is up, the other is still in design phase.
 

charlessenf

(;harles
Senior User
See my other response. But, I have one of those .22 caliber nail shooters to fasten the treated bottom plate to the concrete floor. Though, with the presure exerted from above, it's unlikely to shift without the aid of some serious punding!
 

charlessenf

(;harles
Senior User
See my other response. But, I have one of those .22 caliber nail shooters to fasten the treated bottom plate to the concrete floor. Though, with the presure exerted from above, it's unlikely to shift without the aid of some serious pounding!
 

Skymaster

New User
Jack
if you r going to shoot the plate, be sure to use at least a yello load, once concrete has cured for a while greenies have tuff time penetrating. Reds may even b needed .:wsmile:
 

charlessenf

(;harles
Senior User
I'll likely start with the recommended loads and see what happens. One can always increase power a bit, but starting with too large a load seems more dangerous than the other way 'round. First shot should tell, no?
 

Skymaster

New User
Jack
absa loooooooooooot ly in after the smoke clears dat nail be standin proudly then UPsize the load and kick his butt ROFLOL

Sadly I have a .22 gun here but ammo and charges are no longer available :{ Mine is a High Velocity gun legislated to be not legal some yrs ago :{:{:{ man what a great gun
 
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